Hi Guys,

I suppose this should be in the African Hunting Reports sub forum, and if I can figure out how to post photos, I will. However in the meantime, for all of you 35 Whelen enthusiasts, I thought I'd mention that I just returned from Zambia, hunting with Andrew Baldrey, and I took four animals (Leopard, Kafue Lechwe, Chobe Bushbuck and Oribi) and my wife a Leichtenstein Hartebeest, all with my 35 Whelen.

I used a mixture of three loads: 250gr. NP @ 2550 fps (Leopard, Bushbuck, Hartebeest & Lechwe) and 280 gr. SAF & 275 gr. A-Sq. solids on the Oribi.

This was my 7th safari and I have always wanted to take a 35 Whelen to Africa, but never have.

Check one off the Bucket List...

Oh, if you want to see the Leopard at least, it's on the African Big Game Hunting sub forum in a thread by Mike Burke titled Zambia Leopard.

Gotta love the 35 Whelen!

Thanks for the report, Surefire. Because of the better sectional densities obtainable with the .35 Whelen, I can't help but wonder if it isn't a better choice than a .400 Whelen, at least beyond 150 yards.

There's a caliber I've never owned. Good to know that it works like it should.
Congratulations.

Bill/Oregon,

My wife shot her Hartebeest at 201 yds. Last year she took her elk with her 35 Whelen at 256 yds.

I took the Lechwe at about 160-200 yds.

I think of the Whelen as similar in range as my 30-06, in my rifle, and in my experience at least. I personally consider it a 300 yd. hunting rifle easily, with the right ammo. YMMV.

Surefire, I used a 9,3X62 in Namibia some years ago. Virtual metric twin of the .35 Whelen. Have to admit I was just re-reading the 21-page thread on the .400 Whelen in the Big Bore forum, and the guys have been working up some loads that make it more capable than I had imagined.

Good to hear you had the expected success with your .35 Whelen in Africa.
I took my Remington 700 Classic .35 Whelen on my trip to Zimbabwe in 2001. I was shooting 250 gr Nosler Partitions at 2586 fps. The thing struck like lightning. All one-shot kills.
My kudu turned as I shot. The NP went through the right hip, a full paunch, shredded the spleen and liver, and ended up 4" into the left lung. The kudu went less than 10 yards.
The .35 Whelen, a very underestimated caliber that should be much, much more popular.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Thanks for the report, Surefire. Because of the better sectional densities obtainable with the .35 Whelen, I can't help but wonder if it isn't a better choice than a .400 Whelen, at least beyond 150 yards.

Jeez Bill,,your battling yourself on this topic. You really need both for a balanced armory!

quote:

I used a mixture of three loads: 250gr. NP @ 2550 fps (Leopard, Bushbuck, Hartebeest & Lechwe) and 280 gr. SAF & 275 gr. A-Sq. solids on the Oribi.

250gr @ 2550 fps is more than enough for any plainsgame. It is basically a super 30-06, which we load with SA powders (180 gr @ 2550 fps).

Pieter

Waterrat, it's hard to know which .30-06 derivative to pair with a .400 Whelen: .270? .280? The old original .30? 8mm-06? .338-06? .35 Whelen?
Tis a pleasant misery, surely.

Bill/Oregon,

Well, for what it's worth, my choice for Wyoming/Colorado hunting of antelope, deer and elk is my 25.06, 280 Rem. & 35 Whelen.

Yep, the 30.06 derivatives are hard to beat.

Surefire7

Thanks for sharing your experience. Hope your rifle picked up a little scratch or two, soft reminder of where you've been together. Africa is in your blood now, I bet when you close your eyes you can almost smell it.

Thanks boet. Yes, I did in fact pick up a few soft dents from the hunt and the rifle is broken in now, a true hunting rifle.

I commented to Andrew that the rifle had never been hunted up until this safari, and it's first animals were African.

My wife had spotted the rifle at a Cabela's Gun Library about 15 years ago. He's been a good patient boy as a safe queen up until now. I own many 35 Whelens, but this is my nicest one. Now, he can hold his head up high...

No surprise you had great success in Africa with The 35 Whelen. On a bison hunt in Kansas, a nice bull was shot at about 80yds, with a 250 grain Nosler Partition. At the fwap of the bullet, you could hear the partition "zinging across the prairie. Right thru it. Good story, and much more success in the future.

Jerry

I have used the 9.3x62 enough to suggest the whelen is good enough for anything up to and including buffalo and about perfect for the animals you listed..I have a Jack Haugh 35 Whelen and considered shooting the .310 gr. Woodleigh but it is a bit slow, I think for that heavy bullet the 35 Whelen IMP would surfice??

I've loaded 225 grain partitions in my .35 whelen and now I'm trying out some 225 grain accubonds with a slightly improved BC....the bonded bullets make up for some of the lack of bullet weight one would like in heavier animals and adds to the velocity and this brings the old .35 Whelen even closer to the venerable old .375 H&H in outright killing performance.

Make no mistake about it, the .35 Whelen still isn't a .375 H&H but it's a darn good challenger and worthy of anyone's gun cabinet. One won't be undergunned using one on anything short of the largest of the dangerous game. It delivers serious wallup and at ranges one might have reserved for faster shooting guns. One has to have used one to appreciate it.

Well, I never did figure out the photo posting thing. However, Andrew (Fairgame) came to our rescue. He has posted the story and photos of all the animals we took on the safari.

It is in the African Reports subforum by Fairgame under the title "Royal Kafue Leopard Safari" for your viewing pleasure. Many thanks to Andrew.

And thanks to all of you who have shared your 35 Whelen stories. Great reading!

I used my Whelen up North on the Water Buffalo, I found a 250gr out to 200m makes dem bulls cringe..

the closer the better for vital shots but upclose I shot in the head as it surprised me by being a lot closer than I suspected when stalking in.


I love the Whelen for stalking Sambar deer

WL